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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. capital — a city
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. chip — for betting
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. content — happy
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. capital — money
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. suit — to fit
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. content — the amount
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. calf — a young animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com